1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to reference materials such as charts and tables, and more particularly to devices for looking-up conversions, facts and information. The present invention may be used generally for such applications but is particularly applicable to the cutting of moldings in finished cabinetry and in finish carpentry outside, and especially inside buildings.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Meged, US 2003/0094082, discloses a device for obtaining miter saw settings for cutting material to miter together wherein the settings may be obtained without measuring the angle of the surface material. The device comprises a frame having a setting scale and first and second pivotally attached arms, wherein the setting scale corresponds to the settings on a miter saw.
Berthiaume, US 2005/0098009, discloses a cutting guide allowing for positioning of a piece according to its final installation orientation, relative to the blade of a cutting tool, said tool being provided with a working table having a substantially horizontal plane, a guide having a substantially vertical plane and means for angularly positioning the blade relative to the guide, the plane of the working table and the plane of the guide forming orthogonal planes, the piece being of the type comprising a longitudinal axis, a rear portion substantially parallel to the axis and an inferior portion substantially parallel to the axis; the cutting guide comprising a longitudinal axis and opposed ends; first means cooperating with the plane of the working table and the plane of the guide for maintaining the longitudinal axis of the cutting guide substantially parallel to the orthogonal planes; and second means comprising a first plane parallel and adjacent to the plane of the working table or coplanar with that of the working table, and a second plane forming a predetermined angle inferior to 90 degrees relative to a first plane for receiving and orienting at least part of a rear portion of the piece according to a predetermined inclined plane, when the piece is maintained against the first and second planes for positioning in a stable manner the piece substantially according to its final installation orientation, and for positioning the longitudinal axis of the piece substantially parallel to that of the cutting guide; said piece being adapted to be manually maintained against the first and second planes and the cutting guide being adapted to be positioned relative to the cutting trajectory of the blade so that the piece is cut at a desired angle and at a desired length adjacent one of the ends of the cutting guide. Preferably, the piece is a crown molding or an analogous molding. The invention also relates to a method of using the cutting guide.
Bouchard et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,240,753, discloses a measuring device having a casing, a pair of complementary rules mounted in spaced relation in the casings and adapted to assume coiled arrangement therein, and means connecting the said rules whereby extension of one rule will cause corresponding extension of the other.
Banas, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,314, discloses a two-way measuring and centering device including first and second tape measures extensible in opposite directions. The tape measures are located in separate compartments of a single housing. An inscribing device projects through the housing between the first and second tape measures. The inscribing device includes an elongate shaft having a flat end adapted to be struck with a hammer or otherwise depressed and an opposite pointed end for inscribing a mark when the shaft is struck. Spring bias means are provided for maintaining the shaft in a raised position with the tip enclosed in the housing until the shaft is depressed.
Beerens, U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,278, discloses a hand saw guide comprising a member having two right angled related surfaces so that where one surface is in face to face contact with a component to be sawn the other surface is perpendicular to the component. The other surface having incorporated therein a magnet that creates a magnetic field to hold the blade of a saw against said other surface. The saw can thus be operated to cut the component while held in guided relationship with the other surface.
Mitchell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,446, discloses a tape measure device having two mutually exclusively operable tape measures mounted in a housing such that each tape is adapted to extend linearly from opposite ends of the housing. Each tape measure is adapted to engage a series of gears which, when engaged, turn a counter to total the distance to which the tapes are linearly extended from the housing. Only one of the two tapes may be engaged at one time. Upon the extension of either of the two tapes, the counter is actuated to register the total distance between the ends of the tapes.
Boker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,410, discloses a multiple position, miter device or gauge for use with a table saw or the like which includes a protractor having a plurality of equally spaced precision drilled step-holes, a sine bar, a micrometer adjust, and a guide bar adapted to fit within a guide groove or miter slot.
McAllisterr, U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,519, discloses a miter saw table that has adjustable measuring tapes. The tape sections can be calibrated so that the zero point on the tape is always set at the outer surface of the blade. This is done by using slidable wings that can be secured to a base. The wings are readjusted until the built-in tapes match a control tape. Once the wings are set, cuts can be made quickly by either setting a stop at the precise distance needed, or by sliding the board under the blade until the end of the board aligns with the desired measurement. The board can then be accurately cut without having to measure and mark the board first. Moreover, if the blade is changed during the course of work. The measuring system can be quickly re-calibrated to the thickness of the new blade and cuts can immediately be resumed.
Stauffer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,191, discloses a linear measuring device including a tape housing and a semi-flexible measuring tape housed within the tape housing in a generally spiral configuration with an outer end extendable through a tape outlet opening. An extendable generally flat rear tail is movably mounted on the tape housing generally opposite the tape outlet opening and a generally flat forward tongue is mounted on and extends forwards from the outer end of the measuring tape. Finally, two sets of measurements are displayed on the measuring tape, the outer measurement set displaying the total extended distance of the measuring tape from the outer end to the tape outlet opening and the inner measurement set displaying the total distance from the outer end of the rear tail to the outer end of the forward tongue such that outer and inner measurements are simultaneously displayed on the measuring tape.
The related art described above discloses miter saw gauges and measuring devices, as well as measuring devices having a pair of measuring tape coils. However, the prior art fails to disclose a coiled tape device containing reference charts on its surfaces, and in particular does not disclose such a device that has multiple tape surface which, together, contain all the reference information needed to cut abutting edges of crown molding of all the three types made in the United States for any wall angle. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.